Phys.org news tagged with:urban environmenthttp://phys.org/
en-usPhys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine.Cities adapt to growing ranks of coyotes, cougars and other urban wildlifeSeveral times this spring, coyotes made national headlines when spotted roaming the streets of New York, from Manhattan to Queens.http://phys.org/news/2015-07-cities-coyotes-cougars-urbanwildlife.html
Ecology Thu, 02 Jul 2015 08:37:38 EDTnews355045047Roadside air can be more charged than under a high-voltage power lineDespite community concerns about living under high-voltage power lines, a world-first QUT study reveals that there are far more charged particles beside busy roads.http://phys.org/news/2015-05-roadside-air-high-voltage-power-line.html
Environment Thu, 28 May 2015 08:00:02 EDTnews352017705Nature provides solutions to Europe's woes?Nature-based solutions to societal challenges have come to the forefront all over the world, and interest in such solutions is large in EU due to the potential economic, labor, social and environmental benefits. These solutions are being developed, e. g. to promote health and well-being, and to revitalize cities. ALTER-Net, Europe's Ecosystem Research Network, organizes an international conference on May 19th to 20th in Ghent, Belgium, focusing on the potential of Nature-Based Solutions to Societal Challenges in urbanized regions. ALTER-Net does this in cooperation with the European Commission, under the auspices of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.http://phys.org/news/2015-05-nature-solutions-europe-woes.html
Environment Tue, 19 May 2015 09:40:01 EDTnews351245280Carnabys adjust to foreign plants for feeding and shelterA study tracking the movements of WA's endangered Carnaby's black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) has discovered that not only will the birds adapt to urban environments but they also use non-native vegetation for feeding and roosting.http://phys.org/news/2015-04-carnabys-adjust-foreign.html
Ecology Mon, 20 Apr 2015 07:49:01 EDTnews348734934Study maps development, one county at a timeResearchers at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) have developed a county-by-county map of the United States' "lower 48" that tells a story of land cover and development across the nation, and could provide a framework for planners and policy makers as they consider future development.http://phys.org/news/2015-03-county.html
Environment Wed, 25 Mar 2015 14:00:14 EDTnews346491162Two reports on social innovation trends and possible improvementsThe European social model has been central to the EU vision for years, but enhancing it is a never-ending process. To stay on top of the class, the EU needs a constant flow of new ideas, strategies and concepts. This is called social innovation, and the LIPSE project is playing an important role in its analysis and development with a focus on public sector environments and their capacity to adapt to society's changing needs.http://phys.org/news/2015-03-social-trends.html
Social Sciences Wed, 11 Mar 2015 08:40:04 EDTnews345279243Eating habits of gulls match their surroundingsBlack-headed gulls choose food most likely to be found in their immediate environment, with birds in urban areas selecting less 'natural' foods than their rural counterparts, according to a study by the University of Liverpool.http://phys.org/news/2015-02-habits-gulls.html
Plants & Animals Fri, 06 Feb 2015 08:50:02 EDTnews342431113Atmospheric turbulence keeps the countryside cooler than urban areas on summer daysWhen a team of researchers wanted new insights into why cities tend to be much warner than surrounding areas, they turned to a specialized and increasingly powerful piece of software that simulates urban environments.http://phys.org/news/2015-01-atmospheric-turbulence-countryside-cooler-urban.html
Environment Tue, 13 Jan 2015 05:54:47 EDTnews340350755Speedy, agile UAVs envisioned for troops in urban missionsMilitary teams patrolling dangerous urban environments overseas and rescue teams responding to disasters such as earthquakes or floods currently rely on remotely piloted unmanned aerial vehicles to provide a bird's-eye view of the situation and spot threats that can't be seen from the ground. But to know what's going on inside an unstable building or a threatening indoor space often requires physical entry, which can put troops or civilian response teams in danger.http://phys.org/news/2014-12-speedy-agile-uavs-envisioned-troops.html
Engineering Tue, 23 Dec 2014 08:50:02 EDTnews338546374High ant diversity underfoot in urban environmentsCities have more species diversity than you'd expect. A study of ants in Manhattan found not only a wide range of species, but also significant differences in the levels of biodiversity in different urban areas.http://phys.org/news/2014-11-high-ant-diversity-underfoot-urban.html
Ecology Wed, 12 Nov 2014 09:00:03 EDTnews335003987Researchers pinpoint traits that help 'urban' mosquito transmit malariaAn international team of researchers led by Virginia Tech scientists analyzed the genome of a mosquito species notorious for transmitting malaria in urban environments and discovered how the mosquito evolves rapidly to withstand a variety of environmental conditions.http://phys.org/news/2014-11-traits-urban-mosquito-transmit-malaria.html
Cell & Microbiology Tue, 11 Nov 2014 06:42:51 EDTnews334910565Understanding the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in an urban contextIn an urban environment, the effect of a major earthquake such as the 17 Oct. 1989 Loma Prieta event can be pieced together by the infrastructure damaged or destroyed. This study by Kevin M. Schmidt and colleagues details the effects of the Loma Prieta earthquake still detectable 25 years on and sheds light on the potential damage to infrastructure from future earthquakes along the San Andreas fault or the neighboring Foothills thrust belt.http://phys.org/news/2014-11-loma-prieta-earthquake-urban-context.html
Earth Sciences Fri, 07 Nov 2014 09:19:01 EDTnews334574331Soft design for a sustainable world"Around the world at unprecedented rates, people are moving from the country to the city," says Sheila Kennedy, professor of the practice at MIT's Department of Architecture. "But this rapid urbanization is not a one-way movement—there's an increasing level of mobility and an inevitable permeability between the borders of our natural and urban environments."http://phys.org/news/2014-09-soft-sustainable-world.html
Energy & Green Tech Wed, 24 Sep 2014 07:25:41 EDTnews330762330Orb-weaving spiders living in urban areas may be largerA common orb-weaving spider may grow larger and have an increased ability to reproduce when living in urban areas, according to a study published August 20, 2014 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Elizabeth Lowe from the University of Sydney, Australia and colleagues.http://phys.org/news/2014-08-orb-weaving-spiders-urban-areas-larger.html
Plants & Animals Wed, 20 Aug 2014 14:00:04 EDTnews327761322Why yellow-bellied marmots thrive in urban settingElizabeth Addis, assistant professor of biology at Gonzaga University, and three senior biology majors are spending this summer researching why the local population of yellow-bellied marmots – those gregarious, burrowing rodents ubiquitous near the Spokane River – are not only surviving but thriving in the urban areas of Spokane.http://phys.org/news/2014-08-yellow-bellied-marmots-urban.html
Plants & Animals Fri, 08 Aug 2014 05:28:18 EDTnews326694443The secret life of squirrels in New York CityA recent study has found eastern grey squirrels thrive in New York City's urban environment by adapting their behaviour according to cues from human pedestrians, and mostly by ignoring passers-by.http://phys.org/news/2014-07-secret-life-squirrels-york-city.html
Plants & Animals Wed, 16 Jul 2014 09:10:17 EDTnews324719431Young, slim, sensual and happy—that's what women are like, according to the advertsAs the Doctor in Sociology of the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country Laura Bilbao-Gómez admits, it was a bus shelter that prompted her to do her thesis on the image of the woman's body in advertising and its interaction with consumption. More specifically, the trigger was an advert that appeared in the bus shelter added to an image she later spotted in a shop window opposite, followed by another one inside the shop itself. The three images repeated and reinforced the stereotype of female beauty.http://phys.org/news/2014-07-young-slim-sensual-happythat-women.html
Social Sciences Fri, 04 Jul 2014 08:29:32 EDTnews323681357Is there hope for salmon in Northwest cities?Swimming through cities is a fact of life for many salmon in the Northwest. With all their pavement and pollution, cities add to the challenges salmon face as they make their way to the ocean and back to their spawning grounds.http://phys.org/news/2014-07-salmon-northwestcities.html
Ecology Wed, 02 Jul 2014 08:40:03 EDTnews323508650DARPA Z-Man program demonstrates human climbing like geckosDARPA's Z-Man program has demonstrated the first known human climbing of a glass wall using climbing devices inspired by geckos. The historic ascent involved a 218-pound climber ascending and descending 25 feet of glass, while also carrying an additional 50-pound load in one trial, with no climbing equipment other than a pair of hand-held, gecko-inspired paddles. The novel polymer microstructure technology used in those paddles was developed for DARPA by Draper Laboratory of Cambridge, Mass.http://phys.org/news/2014-06-darpa-z-man-human-climbing-geckos.html
Engineering Fri, 06 Jun 2014 09:10:31 EDTnews321264592Lack of plant diversity spurs cankerworm damage in citiesResearch from North Carolina State University finds that a lack of plant diversity is a key contributor to the widespread defoliation caused by cankerworms in cities, and highlights the role that increasing diversity can play in limiting future damage.http://phys.org/news/2014-05-lack-diversity-spurs-cankerworm-cities.html
Ecology Fri, 23 May 2014 09:46:59 EDTnews320057211Nature inspires drones of the future (w/ Video)(Phys.org) —Researchers have been taking tips from nature to build the next generation of flying robots.http://phys.org/news/2014-05-nature-drones-future.html
Robotics Fri, 23 May 2014 08:02:28 EDTnews320050067Safe driving in city trafficIn future, cars with anticipatory driver assistance systems will help drivers to navigate their way through dense urban traffic without stress and above all safely. A taste of the solutions capable of transforming this vision into reality will be presented on May 14 by the 31 partners collaborating in the UR:BAN research initiative. The project, which runs to mid-2016, aims to develop new driver assistance systems and solutions for safe and efficient traffic management.http://phys.org/news/2014-05-safe-city-traffic.html
Engineering Tue, 06 May 2014 07:52:50 EDTnews318581550Old timey car to replace NYC horse carriages shownAn electric car that proponents hope will replace horse-drawn carriages in New York City has been revealed.http://phys.org/news/2014-04-timey-car-nyc-horse-carriages.html
Energy & Green Tech Thu, 17 Apr 2014 16:18:26 EDTnews316970282In cyber-war, you could change history at the touch of a buttonNot all violence in war and conflict is simply strategic. And not all the destruction that takes place is a consequence of territorial or geopolitical objectives. Taking over the next village, blocking a trade route or destroying the critical infrastructure that supports everyday life are the fundamentals of strategic advance but other actions are intended to undermine morale and have a psychological impact on the victim.http://phys.org/news/2014-03-cyber-war-history-button.html
Internet Fri, 07 Mar 2014 10:30:01 EDTnews313405280Space exploration can drive the next agricultural revolutionHabitation of outer space needs solving air, water, energy and food supplies within a tight space. And this isn't a problem of an apocalyptic, remote future. Developing this technology addresses some of the grand challenges to our civilisation. Space exploration can be one of the main drivers to revolutionise sustainable agriculture on Earth for many reasons.http://phys.org/news/2013-12-space-exploration-agricultural-revolution.html
Space Exploration Mon, 09 Dec 2013 10:20:01 EDTnews305804124Location, location, location: How nature affects the way we make decisionsResearch published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B today has revealed that being exposed to natural environments could significantly impact the choices we make, encouraging us to make decisions which value our longer-term futures more.http://phys.org/news/2013-11-nature-affects-decisions.html
Evolution Thu, 07 Nov 2013 09:00:03 EDTnews303035552Uphill for the trees of the worldHuman civilisation has had an impact on the world, and it continues to have an even greater impact. One of these is that the forests have been cleared and especially so in flat lowlands, so that they have gradually become restricted to steep terrain. This pattern is now emerging all across the world.http://phys.org/news/2013-09-uphill-trees-world.html
Environment Tue, 24 Sep 2013 13:51:28 EDTnews299249452Student researchers find urban agriculture thriving in Los Angeles CountyA group of graduate students in urban planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs has created the first comprehensive picture of urban agriculture in Los Angeles County.http://phys.org/news/2013-08-student-urban-agriculture-los-angeles.html
Environment Fri, 16 Aug 2013 09:50:01 EDTnews295863560Airborne pollution-scanning device maps Leicester's air qualityLeicester scientists have installed their groundbreaking pollution-detecting technology in a plane to map air quality around the city.http://phys.org/news/2013-07-airborne-pollution-scanning-device-leicester-air.html
Environment Tue, 02 Jul 2013 08:50:01 EDTnews291973790City-life changes blackbird personalities, study showsThe origins of a young animal might have a significant impact on its behavior later on in life. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Radolfzell, Germany, have been able to demonstrate in hand-reared blackbirds that urban-born individuals are less curious and more cautious about new objects than their country counterparts. This study sheds light on an interesting debate on whether personality differences between rural and urban birds are behavioral adjustments to urban environments, or if there is an underlying evolutionary basis to the existence of different personalities in urban habitats.http://phys.org/news/2013-06-city-life-blackbird-personalities.html
Plants & Animals Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:10:01 EDTnews290793526